Rotary engine.



ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 19, 1903.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N70 MODEL.

WITNESSES: I

@M CZZMV UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT EErcE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,067, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed November 19, 1903. Serial No. 181,855. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAREN E A. MoCALLIs- TER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of l/Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, and has for its objects to provide a reversible motor of this class which is simple and inexpensive of construction and can be readily reversed.

WVith the above and other desirable objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the engine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse section of same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the reversing-valve; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a portion of the casing, taken on line 4 1 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a suitable base, upon which is arranged a casing 2, having a circularchannel or runway 7 at the outer edge, and this casing consists of two similar halves or sections 8, having flanges 3 on the outer edge, through which bolts are passed to clamp the sections together. A piston-carrier 4, consisting of a circular disk, is mounted in the casing 2 between the sections 3 and is secured to a shaft 5, which is rotatably supported in suitable journals, as hubs 6, formed on the web portions of the sections 8, and secured to the edge of this carrier are piston-heads 9, which fit in the channel or runway 7. Leading to this channel are two ports 10, which each branch at the outer ends into two passages 11, one for ingress and the other for egress of motive fluid, formed in a suitable casing 10, and these passages are controlled by a single valve 12, consisting of a rectangular plate slidably mounted in a suitable channel formed transversely to said passage in the casing thereof, and this valve is provided with apertures 14 at suitable points to register with the ingresspassage leading to one port 10 and the egresspassage leading from the opposite port when the valve isadjusted to run the engine in one direction and to register with the opposite passage of each port when the valve is adjusted to run the engine in the opposite direction. This valve is conveniently operated by means of a lever 15, pivotally mounted on the casing 2 and connected with the valveby means of a link 16.

In the wall of the channel or runway 7 is formed a subway or groove 17, which extends from a point adjacent one port 10 about the casing to a point adjacent the other port and is preferably formed rectangular, as viewed in crosssection. Fitting in this groove is a segmental packing-strip 18, which consists of a curved strip of resilient metal of less thickness than the depth of groove 17 and which is arranged to normally rest at the outer edge of the groove flush with the bore of the runway andfits snugly between the side and end walls of the groove, so as to normally exclude the steam from said groove. This packing-strip is connected With one end of a stem 20, slidably mounted in a suitable radiallydisposed aperture in the casing 2, arranged substantially midway the length of the strip, and this stein projects from said casing and is provided with a collar 20 adjacent the outer end, and a spring, as 21, is arranged between said collar and the base 1 to yieldingly hold the packing-strip normally flush with the bore of the subway; Adjacent the ends of the subway opposite diagonally-disposed slots 22 are formed in the side walls thereof,

and these slots are arranged substantially tangental to the outer line of the runway, and suitable pins 23 are secured to the packingstrip and fit in these slots, so that the end portions of the strip will be guided outwardly to open the subway to the runway when the stem 22 is drawn outwardly to adjust the center portion of the strip, and thus allow motive fluid to flow along the subway and act upon a plurality of the piston-heads, and thereby facilitate the starting or reversing of the engine. The stem 22 is conveniently adjusted by means of a lever 24:, which is suitably fulcrumed on base 1 and pivotally connected with said stem, a hand-lever 25, which is fulcrumed on the casing 2 at any suitable point, and a link 26, pivotally connected with both of said levers.

When desired to start or reverse the engine, the stem is adjusted outwardly to move the packing-strip 18 into the base part of the subway or groove 17, and thereby open said groove for passage of the motive fluid along the face of said strip, so that fluid admitted to the runway will pass the several piston-heads lying along the groove between the ports 10 and act upon said heads to insure the engine starting in the right direction. The valve 12 is then adjusted to admit motive fluid to the runway through the proper port 10, and after the engine has started the handlever is releasedrand the spring 21, acting on stem 20, forces the packing-strip back to a normal position, and thereby closes the subway.

By arranging the groove or subway in the wall of the runway between the ports 10, as shown, and placing the packing-strip therein, so that it can be adjusted to open or close the subway relatively to the runway, the motive fluid can be normally confined between the piston-heads by closing said subway and can be allowed to pass said heads by opening said subway, so that it will act upon a plurality of the heads when the port of ingress is first opened, and thereby insure the engine starting in the proper direction.

This engine is simple and inexpensive of construction, has few parts likely to get out of order, and can be readily reversed.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what a subway consisting of a groove extendingv along the wall of said runway between said ports, a packing-strip fitting in said groove and normally lying flush with the runway, means to adjust said packing-strip outwardly in the groove, a carrier mounted in said casing concentric with said runway, and pistonheads fitting in said runway and secured to said carrier.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a casing having a circular runway and provided with ports cornmuliicating with said way and a subway consisting of a rectangular groove extending along the wall of said runway between said ports and having opposite diagonally-disposed slots in the side walls adjacent the ends, a packing comprising a curved strip of resilient metal fitting in said groove and normally lying flush with the runway and having pins at the ends fitting in said slots, a radially-disposed spring-pressed stem slidably mounted in said casing midway the length of said packing-strip and attached thereto, means to adjust said stem outwardly, a carrier mounted in said casing concentric with said runway and secured to said carrier.

Signed at Seattle, WVashington, this 22d day of October, 1908.

CLARENCE A. MOCALLISTER.

Witnesses:

G. A. HILL, ARLITA ADAMS. 

